JPS6015252B2 - Magneto-optical optical matrix switch device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides that, when input light having a predetermined linear polarization is input from an input port, it is outputted from one output side boat and outputted from another output side boat. The present invention relates to a magneto-optic optical matrix switch device using a magneto-optic optical switch in which any of the above is selected as desired.

When input light having a predetermined linear polarization is input from the input boat, it can be outputted from the - output side boat or outputted from the other output side boats, as desired. Conventionally, a plane reflector 1 has been used as an optical switch that is used as an optical switch, as shown in FIG. and a second position shown by dotted lines, which can be moved parallel to the mirror 1, as desired, and the plane reflecting mirror 1 is placed at a first position shown by solid lines. In this state, the surface facing the mirror surface 2 at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees is perpendicular to the surface of the input side boat E1, the input side boat EI, and the surface facing the mirror surface 2 of the plane reflecting mirror 1 is at a 45 degree angle. The surface facing the input boat EI is the output side boat F1, the surface facing the input side boat EI in parallel with the plane reflector 1 is the other output side boat F2, and the surface facing the input side boat EI is the output side boat FI.
A so-called mirror-moving optical switch has been proposed in which the plane facing parallel to the input side boat E2 via the plane reflecting mirror 1 is the other input side boat E2. According to such a moving mirror optical switch, when the plane reflecting mirror 1 is placed at the first position shown by the solid line, linearly polarized light is input from the input boat EI as shown in FIG. 2A. When it is input as HI, it is outputted as output light HI' from the output side boat FI, and with the plane reflector 1 placed at the second position shown by the dotted line, the input light is output as shown in FIG. 2B. When the input light HI described above is incident from the side boat 1, it is output as the output light H1.
r, the light is emitted from the output boat F2, and the plane reflecting mirror 1 is placed at the second position shown by the dotted line.
As shown in FIG. 2C, when linearly polarized light is input from the input boat E2 as the input light beam 2, a switch function can be obtained in which it is output from the output boat FI as the output light beam 2'. In order to obtain the switch function, as mentioned above, it is necessary to mechanically select and place the plane reflecting mirror 1 in either the first or second position as desired, which requires time. Therefore, there is a certain limit to achieving the above-mentioned switch function at high speed, and due to mechanical wear or the like, the plane reflector 1 may shift from the first position, causing the output light HI. It has disadvantages such as the inability to emit light in a certain precise direction. Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of M×N (M and N are each a plurality) of the moving mirror optical switches described above in FIG. ~S, N, S2, ~S......
SM, .about.SMN, in which case the optical switches S, .
~S, N, S2, ~S2N...SN, ~SMN are the optical switches Sij (where i=1, 2...M, j=1
, 2...N) is connected to the output side boat F2 of the optical switch Si(j-,), and the output side boat FI is connected to the input side of the optical switch S(H)j. side boat E
2, and the optical switch S
A moving mirror optical matrix switch device has been proposed in which the input side boat EI of optical switch i is the input side boat A', and the output side boat FI of optical switch S, j is the output side boat Bj.

According to such a moving mirror type optical matrix switch device, for example, the plane reflecting mirror 1 of the optical switches S, 2 is arranged at the first position as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, while the optical switches S, . When the input light L is incident on the input side boat A with the plane reflecting mirror 1 in the second position as shown by the dotted line, the input light L becomes the output light L from the output side boat B2.
For example, the optical switch S3,
When the plane reflector 1 of the optical switches S, . When the input light is incident on the input boat with the plane reflecting mirrors 1 and S2 arranged at the second position as shown by dotted lines, the input light L3 is input from the output boat B.
is output as output light L', and furthermore, for example, when the plane reflecting mirror 1 on the side of the optical switch S is in the first position as shown by the solid line, the optical switches SM, ~SM(N-,) and Sw~S( N
-, )N plane reflecting mirror 1 is arranged at the second position as shown by the dotted line, and when input light LM is input to input side boat AM, input light LN is input from output side port BN. In general, the plane reflector 1 of the optical switch Si is in the first position, and the optical switch Si,
~Si(i-.) and S,''~S(H)i with the plane reflector 1 in the second position, the input side boat A,
When the input light L' is incident on the output side boat Bi, it is possible to obtain a matrix switch function in which the input light LI is outputted as the output light Lj'. With the plane reflector 1 of the optical switch Sij in the first position, the optical switches S, . It is necessary to mechanically arrange the plane reflector 1 of ~S river-,) and S,j~S(H)i in the second position, and for this purpose, as described above for the optical switch of FIG. Similarly, it takes time, and therefore there is a certain limit to obtaining the matrix switch function at high speed, and as mentioned above with respect to the optical switch of FIG. If the output light cannot be emitted in the correct direction, or if there is, the output light Lj
′ could not be obtained.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel magneto-optical optical switch that provides the same switching function as the optical switch shown in FIG. 1 without the drawbacks mentioned above in FIG. The purpose is to propose a new magneto-optic optical matrix switch device using a novel magneto-optic optical switch that can obtain the same matrix switch function as the optical matrix switch device described above in FIG. 3, and will be described in detail below. It will become clearer from here.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention.
, a boat P3 perpendicular to the boat PI and P2, and a boat P4 facing the boat P3, and when predetermined linearly polarized light (hereinafter referred to as the first linearly polarized light) is incident from the boat P1, from the boat P2. When the first linearly polarized light is emitted and a linearly polarized light perpendicular to the first linearly polarized light (this is referred to as a second linearly polarized light) is incident from the boat PI, the third linearly polarized light is emitted.
A polarization splitter 21, which is known per se, outputs the second linearly polarized light from the boat P4, and further outputs the first linearly polarized light from the third port when the first linearly polarized light is incident from the boat P4. and the boat P of the polarization splitter 21
Optical rotators KI and K2 arranged opposite to I and P3, respectively
The sides of the optical rotators KI and K2 opposite to the polarization splitter 21 are connected to the input side boat EI and the output side boat F1, and the boats P2 and P4 of the polarization splitter 21, respectively.
The output side boat F2 and the input side boat E2 are configured to be respectively connected to the output side boat F2 and the input side boat E2.

However, in this case, when linearly polarized light is incident, the optical rotator KI rotates the linearly polarized light clockwise by 45o (this is 14o ) A control state (this is called the first control state) controlled by a known optical rotator QI and an external magnetic field (this is called the first external magnetic field UI) is emitted as rotating linearly polarized light. )in,
When linearly polarized light is incident, the linearly polarized light is rotated by 145 degrees with respect to the linearly polarized light due to the Farade effect and output as linearly polarized light, and is generated by an external magnetic field in the opposite direction to the external magnetic field UI (this is referred to as a second external magnetic field U2). When linearly polarized light is incident in the controlled control state (this is called the second control state), the linearly polarized light is rotated counterclockwise by 45o (this is referred to as -45o) due to the Farade effect. Similarly to the optical rotator QI, the optical rotator Q2 is a linear polarizer that rotates the linearly polarized light by 145 degrees due to natural optical rotation or due to the Farade effect when the linearly polarized light is incident. Linearly polarized light is incident in a control state (referred to as the third control state) controlled by an external magnetic field (referred to as the third external magnetic field U3) and an optical rotator Q3 that outputs the polarized light. case optical rotator Q2
Similarly, due to the Farade effect, the linearly polarized light is rotated by 14y with respect to the linearly polarized light and is emitted as linearly polarized light, and the external magnetic field U
In a control state (this is called the fourth control state) controlled by an external magnetic field in the opposite direction to Q2 (this is called the fourth external magnetic field), when linearly polarized light is incident, the optical rotator Q2 Similarly, due to the Farade effect, the linearly polarized light becomes −4
It has an optical rotator Q4 that emits as linearly polarized light that can be rotated. The above is an example of the configuration of the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention. According to such a configuration, the optical rotator Q2 of the optical rotator KI and the optical rotator Q4 of the optical rotator K2 are as described above, respectively. In the state of being controlled in the first and third control states, as shown in FIG. 5A,
When the above-mentioned first linearly polarized light is input from the input boat EI as the input light LI, it is converted to 90% by the optical rotator KI.
The second linearly polarized light enters the polarization splitter 21 and exits from the boat P3, and the second linearly polarized light exits from the boat P3 is rotated 9 degrees by the optical rotator KI. As a result, the first linearly polarized light is obtained from the output boat FI as the output light LI', and the optical rotator Q2 is controlled to the second control state described above. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the above-mentioned input light LI enters from the input side boat EI, it is not rotated by the optical rotator KI, and therefore the first linearly polarized light is transmitted to the polarization splitter 21. As a result, the first linearly polarized light is output from the output boat F2 as output light LI''
is obtained, and with the optical rotator Q4 being controlled to the above-mentioned fourth control state, the first linearly polarized light is input from the input boat E2 as the input light L2, as shown in FIG. 5C. If it is the boat P3 of the polarization splitter 21
The first linearly polarized light emitted from the boat P3 is not rotated by the optical rotator K2, and therefore the first linearly polarized light is output from the output boat FI as the output light L2.
It is clear that the switch function obtained as ′ can be obtained.

According to the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to obtain the same switching function as the optical switch shown in FIG. 1. However, in order to obtain such a switch function, in the case of the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in FIG. It is only necessary to selectively control the optical rotator Q4 of the optical rotator K2 to any of the third and fourth control states as desired, while these first to fourth control states are externally controlled. These external magnetic fields UI to U4 can be immediately and easily obtained by obtaining the magnetic fields UI to U4, and these external magnetic fields UI to U4 can be immediately and easily obtained to the machine by passing current through the coils, taking into account its direction. , which has the great feature of not having the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional optical switch shown in FIG. In the above description, in the example of the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the optical rotator Q2 of the optical rotator KI is placed in either the first or second control state. In addition, although the specific configuration for selectively controlling the anchor photon Q4 of the optical polarizer K2 to either the third or fourth control state was not described, When the means for selectively controlling the second control state is the control means G, and the means for selectively controlling the optical rotator Q4 of the optical rotator K2 to either the third and fourth control states, the control means G, As shown in FIG.
and q2', respectively, and has an open ring shape as a whole, and has a magnetic relationship from the free end surface 22G side to the 23G side, as shown by the magnetic G characteristic curve in FIG. (Let this be 10 days) is 10 days from the value of zero to the value of 10 days.
It is spontaneously magnetized with the strength of magnetization given by the magnetic field as the external magnetic field UI described above (this is assumed to be 10BG) toward the day) is given to the value of G per day.
2, the strength of magnetization that provides the magnetic field as the external magnetic field U2 mentioned above (this is −8).

), and furthermore, when a magnetic field of 10 days is given to the value of HG, it becomes spontaneously magnetized with a magnetization strength of 10 BG that provides a magnetic field as an external magnetic field UI to the polarizer Q2, For example, it has a relatively soft magnetic material 24G made of ferromagnetic material, ferrite, etc., and an excitation winding 25G wrapped on the magnetic material 24G, and one end of the excitation winding 25G is attached to the excitation winding 25G.
The control current from the 6G side to the Ikebata 27G side (this is assumed to be 10IG) is applied to the magnetic body 24G with a magnetic field of the above value 10days G. Therefore, the above-mentioned spontaneous magnetization with a magnetization strength of 10BG is obtained. When the current is applied to the excitation winding 25G from the other end 27G side to the one end 26G side (this is referred to as -IG), the magnetic body 24G generates the external magnetic field UI described above. The structure is such that when a magnetic field of the above-mentioned value G per day is applied, and therefore the above-mentioned magnetization strength - a value that yields the spontaneous magnetization of BG, the above-mentioned external magnetic field U2 is generated, and Although a detailed explanation of the control means will be omitted, it is possible to adopt a configuration similar to the control means G as shown in parentheses in FIGS. 6 and 7. Nao 29
G is a window for the optical rotator Q2 provided in the magnetic body 24G. In this way, the switch function obtained as described above in the magneto-optic optical switch S used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in FIG.
Selecting and passing either current +IG or -1G through the excitation winding 25G of the control means G, and similarly selecting and passing either the current +IH or -IH on the excitation winding 25 of the control means day. It is long enough to do many things and is extremely easy to obtain.

As described above, an example of the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention has been clarified. Next, FIG. To describe an example of an optical matrix switch device, as shown in FIG. 8, MXN (however, M and N are plural) of the magneto-optic optical switches S according to the present invention described above in FIG. 4 are connected to S, . ~S, N, S2, ~S
2N...SM, ~SMN, in which case the optical switches S, . ~S, N, S2, ~S2N...S
M, ~SMN is the optical switch Sij (where i=1,
2......N, j=1, 2......N) input side boat EI and output side boat FI to the output side boat F2 of optical switch Si(j-,). Optical switch S (…)
They are arranged in a matrix in such a manner that they face the input side boat E2 of the optical switch Si, and the input side boat EI of the optical switch Si is the input side boat Ai, and the output side boat FI of the optical switch Sij is the output side boat 8j. It has a flexible structure. The above is an example of the structure of the magneto-optical optical matrix switch device according to the present invention. According to such a structure, for example, the optical rotator Q2 of the optical rotator KI at the optical switch S position and the optical rotator Q4 of the optical rotator K2 are as described above, respectively. The optical switches S, . When the first linearly polarized light described above enters the input boat A as the input light L while the optical rotator Q2 of the optical rotator KI is controlled to the second control state described above, the output boat The input light L, is output as the output light L' from
and Q4 are in the first and third control states, respectively, and the optical switches S, . When the first linearly polarized light enters the input boat A3 as input light while the optical rotators Q4 of and S2 are controlled to the fourth control state described above, the output boat B
Therefore, the input light L3 is output as the output light L3, and is obtained as
Furthermore, for example, the optical rotators Q2 and Q4 of the optical switch SMN are in the first and third control states, respectively, and the optical switches SM, ~SM
The input boat AM When the first linearly polarized light is input as the input light LM, the input light LN is output from the output boat BN as the output light LN'.
4 are in the first and third control states, respectively, and the optical switch S;
In a state where the optical rotator Q2 of ~Si(i-,) is controlled to the second control state and the optical rotator Q4 of the optical switch S,j~S(,-,)J is controlled to the fourth control state, It is clear that when the first linearly polarized light is input as the input light Li, the input light L is output from the output boat Bi as the output light Lj'.

Therefore, according to an example of the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to obtain the same matrix switch function as the subordinate optical matrix switch device shown in FIG. be.

However, in order to obtain such a matrix switch function, the eighth
In the case of the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention shown in the figure, the optical rotators Q2 and Q4 of the optical switch Sij are placed in the first and third control states, respectively, and the optical switch S
It is enough to put the optical rotator Q2 of i, ~Si(j-,) in the third control state and the optical rotator Q4 of the optical switch SIi~S(i-.)i in the fourth control state, The conventional optical matrix switch device shown in FIG. 3 has a great feature that it does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks. This means that the control means G described above in FIG. 6 is used as Gu to control the optical rotator Q2 of the optical switch Sij to either the first or second control state, and
It is even better if the above-mentioned control means is used as Hij as a means for controlling the optical rotator Q4 of ij to either the third or fourth control state. In the above description, the optical rotator Q3 of the magneto-optical optical switch Sij used in the magneto-optical optical matrix device according to the present invention rotates the linearly polarized light in the same rotation direction as the rotation direction when the optical rotator QI rotates the linearly polarized light. In the above description, the optical rotator Q3 is rotated by -45 degrees in the opposite direction to the case just described, and the optical rotator Q4 is rotated by -45 degrees. In the third control state, the linearly polarized light is rotated by -45o, contrary to the above case, and in the fourth control state, the linearly polarized light is rotated by 1450 degrees, contrary to the above case, and the same effect as described above is obtained. Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional optical switch, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining its operation, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional optical matrix switch device. Fourth
The drawings are a schematic perspective view showing an example of a magneto-optical optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view for explaining its operation, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic side view showing a control means applicable to the magneto-optic optical switch used in the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention, FIG. 7 is a magnetization characteristic curve diagram of a magnetic material that can be used therein, and FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to the present invention. In the figure, S and S,j (where i=1, 2...M, j: 1,
2......N) is a magneto-optical optical switch, PI to P4 are boats, 21 is a polarization splitter, KI and K2 are optical rotators, E1, E2 and Ai are input side boats, F1, F2 and Bj are output sides boat, QI to Q4 are optical polarizers, L1, L2
and Li are input lights, LI', LI'', L2' and Lj'
indicate the output light, respectively. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 A Fig. 2 B Fig. 2 C Fig. 4 Fig. 3 Fig. 5 A Fig. 5 B Fig. 5 C Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 M×N magneto-optical switches S_1_1 to S_1_N, S_3_1 to S_
2_N...S_M_1 to S_M_N, and the magneto-optic switch S_i_j (where i=1, 2...M, j
= 1, 2...N) has first, second, third, and fourth ports, and when the first linearly polarized light is incident from the first port, the linearly polarized light is incident from the second port. emitting a first linearly polarized light, and when a second linearly polarized light orthogonal to the first linearly polarized light is incident from the first port, emitting the second linearly polarized light from the third port; 4th above
a polarization splitter that outputs the first linearly polarized light from the third port when the first linearly polarized light is incident from the port of the polarization splitter;
first and second optical rotators disposed opposite to each other at the ports of the first optical rotator; a first optical rotator that rotates the polarized light by 45 degrees in a first rotation direction and outputs the polarized light as linearly polarized light;
When linearly polarized light is incident in the first control state controlled by an external magnetic field, the Farade effect causes the linearly polarized light to be output as linearly polarized light that is rotated by 45 degrees in the first rotation direction. , when linearly polarized light is incident in a second control state controlled by a second external magnetic field in the opposite direction to the first external magnetic field, the linearly polarized light is and a second optical rotator that outputs linearly polarized light that is rotated by 45 degrees in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, and the second optical rotator has a natural optical rotation when linearly polarized light is incident. a third optical rotator that rotates the linearly polarized light by 45° relative to it in the first (or second) rotation direction due to the Falade effect and outputs the linearly polarized light as a linearly polarized light; and a third external magnetic field. When linearly polarized light is incident in the third controlled state, the linearly polarized light is output as linearly polarized light that is rotated by 45 degrees in the first (or second) rotation direction due to the Farade effect. , a fourth magnetic field in the opposite direction to the third external magnetic field.
When linearly polarized light is incident in the fourth control state controlled by an external magnetic field of
and a fourth optical rotator that outputs the linearly polarized light as rotated by °, and the first optical rotator is controlled in the first and third control states, respectively, with the second and fourth optical rotators being controlled to the first and third control states, respectively. The side of the device opposite to the polarization splitter side is set as a first input side port, so that when the first linearly polarized light is input as the first input light, the side opposite to the polarization splitter side of the second optical rotator is used. side as a first output side port, from which the first linearly polarized light is obtained as the first output light,
When the first input light is input from the first input port while the second optical rotator is controlled to the second control state, the second polarization splitter As the second output side port, the first linearly polarized light is obtained as the second output light, and with the fourth optical rotator being controlled to the fourth control state, the first linearly polarized light is obtained as the second output light. When the first linearly polarized light is input as the second input light from the port No. 4 as the second input port, the first linearly polarized light becomes the third output light from the first output port. The magneto-optical switches S_1_1 to S_1_
N, S_2_1~S_2_N...S_M_1~S_M_
N, the first input side port of the magneto-optic optical switch S_i_j is connected to the magneto-optic optical switch S_i_(_j_-
_1_), the first output side port is arranged in a relationship such that the first output side port faces the second input side port of the magneto-optic switch S_(_i_-_1_)_j,
The second and fourth optical rotators of the magneto-optic switch S_i_j are in the first and third control states, respectively, and the magneto-optic switches S_i_j to S_i_(_j_-_1_)
The second optical rotator of the magneto-optical switch S_1_j to S_(_i_-_1_)_j is in the second control state.
While the optical rotator of is controlled to the fourth control state, the first input port of the magneto-optical switch S_i_1 is set as the input port A_i, and thereby the first linearly polarized light is input as input light L_i. In this case, the first output port of the magneto-optical switch S_1_j is the output port B.
As a result, the input light L_i becomes the output light L'_
1. A magneto-optical optical matrix switch device characterized in that it is configured to emit light as j. 2. In the magneto-optic optical matrix switch device according to claim 1, the magneto-optic optical switch S_i
a first control means G_i_j for controlling the second optical rotator of _j to the first or second control state; and a second control means G_i_j for controlling the fourth optical rotator to the third or fourth control state. and a control means H_i_j, the first control means G_i_
j has a first magnetic body exhibiting spontaneous magnetization and a first excitation winding wound on the first magnetic body, and has a first control to the first excitation winding. The first external magnetic field is generated by supplying a current, and the second external magnetic field is generated by supplying a second control current in a direction opposite to the first control current, and the second control means H_i_j has a second magnetic body exhibiting spontaneous magnetization and a second excitation winding wound on the second magnetic body, and has a third control to the second excitation winding. By supplying a current, the third external magnetic field is applied to the third external magnetic field.
A magneto-optical optical matrix switch device, characterized in that the fourth external magnetic field is generated by supplying a fourth control current in a direction opposite to that of the control current.